Krizz spends some time at the doorway before any of the team enter the main room and is finally able to settle the spirits there, at least until midnight. During the process, the sounds of chanting in Infernal is clearly recognized by the cleric as a prayer to Mephistopheles.
After searching the house once more to ensure they missed nothing. The team settles down for the remainder of the night. When they return to the Horizon Hunters faction leader, Calisro Benarry asks ...
"Well then young Pathfinders, did you find anything interesting?"
On hearing their report she acknowledges the importance of their find and assures them that everything will be done to make sure those souls are put to rest before the house is demolished.
She then continues, "That sounds quite terrifying though, did you manage to stay the whole night, or were you sensible enough to flee in terror?"
Listening to the indignant responses from the goblins with a smile on her face she appreciatively grasps the nearest two by a shoulder each and responds, "Quite so, bravery like that is what you need to make a name for yourself. You will be fine Pathfinders!"
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"I's no medics, sorrys! Maybes some rest work just as good?" Pooka offers as things settle down and the group decides to get some sleep for the rest of the night. "I's glad we all alives, though. That was scarys!"
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Later, after reporting back to Calisro Benarry, Pooka things about their three remaining assignments and which one might be the most fun or interesting to tackle next.
"I thinks maybe we shoulds go and saves the whistleblower persons or learns about the smugglers next," she finally suggests. "Boths of those could be super excitings! And, ums, maybe the whistleblower would like to be saveds, that's probably importants too."
The team readies themselves to rescue the whistleblower and heads toward Westgate. On the way, some of them try to Gather Information from locals along the way.
Gather Information
Kloink
Krizz
Loohi
Pooka
Sage
Sneak
The team of Pathfinders having taken some time to do their research on the way have learned that a crowd opposed to their impending actions has gathered along Statue Street, and that there are five leaders of the group. Those leaders consist of a Charlatan, a Smith, an Actor, and two Drunks.
They have also learned that the eponymous statues of Statue Street are the remnants of a longstanding Absalomian tradition: to prevent overcrowding in the city's prisons, nonviolent offenders were allowed to compete for a pardon in a race to outrun an angry gorgon along these streets. Those who successfully outpaced the beast were allowed to go free; those less fortunate now line the streets as bizarre decore. The ethics of the practice are dubious at best, and it was recently outlawed. Still, there are some who are upset to lose this tradition, and at the news that one of the condemned might be allowed to go free, a group of rabble-rousers has riled up a mob of locals who can't bear to see outsiders interfere with seven centuries of history.
And so the determined group of goblins approach Westgate.
For several blocks, the quiet lanes of Westgate’s residential neighbourhoods feature small houses, low-key cafes and
taverns, and the occasional specialty shop. The fragrant scent of tended flower gardens in the warm sunlight blends with the low hum of distant conversation over what would normally be a pleasant boulevard. But the stone statues—at first appearing only here and there, like odd decorations—now number several per block, and the otherwise plain square ahead is outright cluttered with stone figures. They take countless forms, from humans and halflings to orcs, lizardfolk, and even stranger, all forever frozen in acts of desperation, defiance, or despair. The quaint, statue-filled square is also filled with people; several dozen townsfolk shout and argue, their voices somehow out of place among the silent statues.
Sage approaches and addresses the smith. Scuse me, i know this is tradition but it seems a bit ex..exces...harsh to me. These beings did not violent things right? Is it fair to kill them over that? Sounds about as good as using a sledgehammer to engrave jewelry. Maybe it time to look for different solution?
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Loohi sidles up to the charlatan as he is obviously eyeing people's purses. "I likes all the targets we have here. I can sees that look in your eyes, just looks at mine, we gots the same idea. But I don'ts like all these peoples milling arounds. To many eyes to see something. A moving target is easier to pick, if you ask me. Maybes we should get them going. What's do you thinks?"
He then moves over to where one of the drunks is slumped, "Hey buddy. Looks likes you got some of the good stuff. I's never liked the selection on Statue Street. Do you suggest any place we can take our friends here for some good stuff?"
He then slides over to the other drunkard and whispers to him, "So, this guy over here definitely is hogging the good stuff. You looks like a smart one. What do yous say we follows this guy and take what he's got? You with me?"
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"Ooh, that one's all dressed up funny," Pooka whispers to the others as she points at a man wearing a fancy cat costume. "I'll go talk to him!"
Assuming she can get close enough to the platform Pooka comes bouncing up, eyes on the Cat-Man. "Hellos! That's a wicked-awesome costumes! Are you putting ons a show heres?"
Pooka pauses and looks around at the strange and rather agitated crowd, frowning. "Ums...doesn't seem likes the bests place for a show. These people seems more likes they wanna throw old mushy tomatoes than sits quietly."
"Besides, I thinks you can do betters," the goblin adds in a low, conspiratorial voice as she leans in a little closer. "You shoulds go try the crowds ats the Shelyn temples; theys love art and awesome costumes and stuffs! Maybe sees if some of the nicer ones here wanna gos too."
The smith replies in a huff, "The process has been discontinued but that is no reason to override the standing sentences."
Loohi is on a roll and soon has all three of the shadier characters distracted and on the move.
Pooka bamboozles the actor who stumbles away not knowing if they are coming or going.
Sneak Runt as no trouble quietly and unobtrusively moving over to the person they have come to rescue, salve in hand while Kloink tries to reason with the smith.
She manages to get through to the last of the leaders who then tells the crowd to disperse. "We may not like it, but these folk are acting within the law and we would be no better than those who stand here petrified if we try to stop them. Go on about your business folk. We must maintain the law."
But as the mob disperses another threat appears! These goblins are no Pathfinders and they look like they are up to no good. One of them [00c](black)[/ooc] appears to have no weapons upon them. The others are armed with shortbows and dogslicers.
Kloink
Krizz
Loohi
Pooka
Sage
Sneak
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"Heys! Who invited yous to the partys!?" Pooka yells, quite offended by this intrusion. "You guys are perpetuating negatives stereotypes about us! Go aways! Hit the roads!"
And with that, Pooka taps her foot and belts out a little ditty to inspire her fellow goblin friends.
~Hit the road Jack and don't you come back
No more, no more, no more, no more
Hit the road Jack and don't you come back
No more~
Then she casts a spell and a suit of translucent armor ripples into being, covering her form before slowly fading from sight.
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Krizz moves around behind Sneak.
Pooka inspires those of her party within 60 ft of her while simultaneously telling the newly arrived goblins to depart.
Bitey, come up here please, no more napping. Look, We pathfinders and dont want to have to fight you. Stop causing trouble and go home. sage raised his shield and prepares to defend himself after moving to a slightly different spot.
The new arrivals seem to pay no heed to Pooka and Sage's words, instead, they take aggressive action against the Pathfinders.
One comes forward singing goblin songs of how they will stomp and burn those who try to stand. They weave in the words of a spell while they do this and gesture at the two goblins near the fountain, sending a cone of fire their way.
One rushes at Bitey and slashes with their dogslicer.
The first stroke lives up to its name but the second misses as Bitey squirms away.
Another moves up to Sage and also swings ...
... managing to make it around the Pathfinder's shield but barely scratching him.
The final new arrival moves out from behind a statue and shoots at Sneak Runt.
The first arrow strikes true and buries itself in Sneak's shoulder. The second arrow goes wide.
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Kloink nimbly dodges out of the way and runs to make some space between her and her fellow pathfinders. She looks really close at the Goblin who lashed out with fire, trying to figure out if they were a charhide goblin like herself, or what other sort of goblin they may be.
Why always fire? Bitey kill! sage turns to his attacker and bites into him after bitey moces into position and attacks as well.
Last action to raise shield
Kloink studies the goblin pyro as she moves. They seemed to be learned in the ways of fire but as far as Kloink can tell has no special resistance to it. In fact, some slight singing of their garments and some mild scarring would argue otherwise.
To test her theory, Klink lobs an Alchemists Fire that way but has the range slightly off merely splashing them with the flames.
Sage and Bitey both attack green after carefully flanking them. Sage catches only a scrap of robe but Bitey manages to take a chunk of flesh and all can hear the goblin yelp in pain.
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Though she lets her magical shield fade away Pooka continues to sing as she marches around the base of the platform and stares at Black, with a look of consternation on her face that's almost comical in its intensity.
"Your singings sucks and your fires sucks too!"
She punctuates this by snapping her whip at the goblin, attempting to trip him!
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Pooka's whip snakes out and wraps around the leg of the lead goblin but he manages to keep his balance.
While he is distracted though, Krizz sends a ray of fire his way and has the satisfaction of hearing him curse and seeing a nasty burn across his chest.
Loohi moves up to join in the fray.
The goblin pyromancer lets loose with another Burning Hands
There is a loud yell before the goblin warrior falls, the charred body still smoking.
The other two goblins of that party are yelling and swearing at their leader who shrugs.
They seem reluctant to get between the pyro and his chosen targets so move to meet some of the other Pathfinders instead.
for
for
for
One runs at Pooka and slashes, catching her across the arm and leaving a light wound.
The other moves to Kloink and manages to bite deeply with their dogslicer with their first swing but is off balance and misses the second swing.
Kloink steps up and throws a couple of Alchemists Fires at the invasive goblins. Unfortunately, in her haste, her aim suffers just slightly and she ends up splashing both of them rather than hitting them directly.
Loohi steps in toward the leader and throws a couple of punches. The first manages to distract him a little and the second lands a solid blow, knocking him down completely.
Sneak joins the fight taking a solid shot at red, slicing into them with the first attempt but missing with the second.
Krizz steps in front of red and lets loose a cone of fire that engulfs both remaining foes.
Unfortunately, with their experience of their leader and the greater distance, the farthest one has just enough time to dodge the flames. The near one, however, takes the blast full in the face and cries out in pain, followed by much cursing and swearing in the goblin language.
Pooka moves on purple and her whip lashes out. The burn she is trying to ignore is affecting her more than she thought and she fails to connect.
NO BITEY!!! sage cries out in dismay as bitey gets burned and falls to the ground. Sage immediately focus on bitey and casts heal animal as a 2 action spell. before drawing a javelin from a bandolero and throwing it at the caster.
All of the team hear the anguish in Sage's voice as his companion is badly burned. Once Sage has Bitey on their feet again, he flings a javelin at the source of that pain. With the culprit already fallen, the javelin finds its way into the body of one of the other attacking goblins who drops lifeless.
The final goblin flees before any of the Pathfinders can react.
With the battle over, the group of Pathfinders tend to their own and gather around the petrified whistleblower. The salve is applied and they watch in wonder as the petrification is reversed.
As they support the newly revived, the goblins learn that a band of militant hobgoblins has begun establishing a base in one of the siege castles outside the city. They recognize this to be important information that they are sure Eando Kline will want to hear immediately.
The whistleblower is very appreciative and gifts the group with a jewelled ring worth about 12 gp.
Once they have reported in, they prepare for their next assignment.
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"Woo! We works good togethers," Pooka cheers, giving all of her companions high-fives when the battle is done. She even gives Bitey a hesitant pat on the head once he's all mended up and well again.
After all the hubbub of rescuing the whistleblower and learning of the militant hobgoblins dies down a bit and they've reported in to Eando, Pooka considers the two remaining tasks. For her, it's an easy choice.
"Ships! Let's go to the Flotsam Graveyards!"
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Kloink is happy to administer the salve, and takes notes as to how it functions. Particularly, does the unpetrificationee inhale or exhale first?
After completing her notes, she scowls. "Never liked hobgoblins. Too mean."
After reporting in (and letting the others do more of the talking), Kloink is excited. "Me'z happy to go to the ships!" She's doing little to hide her excitement at furthering her faction leader's cause.
never been on a ship before, hope we like it